It’s that time of year once again. Another school year is coming to an end. Grace’s last day is this week, and Claire has another week to go after that. And I’m not sure who is more ready for summer break…me or them! Yes, I need a break from packing lunches, supervising homework, and just routines in general. Now check back with me in mid-August, and I’ll be saying I need some routine in my life!
So with the end of the school year approaching, it is time to start shopping for teacher gifts. While it certainly isn’t required, I like to show teachers how much they are appreciated. Being a former second grade teacher, I know firsthand how much teachers give of themselves to make sure every student thrives and succeeds. So I thought I’d share some ideas of gifts I’ve received and gifts I’ve given over the years…hopefully it will give you some inspiration, in case you are looking for gift ideas.
First, let’s talk about what NOT to give a teacher…
- anything teacher related…trust me they do not need another item that has apples, rulers, or school buses on it. Where would they put it, especially if they’ve been teaching for a while and already have some teacher items?? I don’t know of any teachers who decorate their homes in teacher-theme decor, either!
- mugs…no one really needs more mugs, even teachers
- candles…it seems to be the “default gift” for teachers, so I bet most teachers have an over abundance of them
- a framed picture of your child…even if he or she is adored by the teacher, she doesn’t NEED that. Again, is she really going to display it in her home? More than likely, she has framed pictures of her own children in her home or classroom.
- clothing…for obvious reasons
Those are just my thoughts, and some come from my personal experience.
Now, here are some ideas for gifts that I think any teacher would love and appreciate!
- a gift card to a local spa for a pedicure…make the presentation of it super cute by attaching the gift card to a pair of fun, colorful flip flops using some ribbon
- passes to the movie theatre…now that school is out for the summer, she can catch up on some movies
- a hanging flower basket or a gift certificate to a local nursery so she can choose her own flowers
- find out some of her favorite restaurants and give her a gift card to one of them…a night out with her spouse or family is always appreciated
- bringing a catered lunch to the teacher…I had a parent do that for me one year and it was such a treat because everything was homemade and she packaged it all so adorably that I knew that mom truly appreciated everything I had done for her child that school year
- a gift card to the book store…lots of time for summer reading
- if he or she has a hobby that you know of, consider giving a gift that could be used for that purpose (golf balls, a gift card to a craft store, a new cookbook)
- work with other parents in the class to collect pictures of the class and teacher from throughout the school year, and put together a scrapbook…you could even have each student write a few sentences telling their favorite thing about the teacher and include those, as well
- personalized notepads…teachers write A LOT of notes throughout a year
- help the teacher get a head start on next year by giving her a gift card to the local teacher/ school supply store because we all know teachers put a lot of their own money into their classrooms
Finally, have your child write a note to his or her teacher expressing their gratitude and what their favorite parts of the school year were. I cannot tell you how much that meant to me as a teacher. In fact, I still have all the notes that my students and parents gave to me during my seven years of teaching.
I would love to share what I’m giving to Claire’s teacher this year…I don’t want to spoil the surprise, though. I will say it involves one of our favorite family summertime activities. I’ll share a picture of it HERE next week on her last day of school…
I hope you found this helpful, and I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your ideas and suggestions for end of school year teacher gifts in the comment section below…
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